Defense Rests, So Do Players

Immunity Issue Key Hope In Trying To Sway Jury

September 19, 1985|By Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune.

PITTSBURGH — Attorneys for Curtis Strong, the Philadelphia cook accused of selling cocaine to major league baseball players, concluded their defense Wednesday without calling any players or baseball officials to testify. They appear to be basing their hope for acquittal on the jury repudiating the government`s decision to grant the players immunity from prosecution.

Seven present and former major league players testified they purchased cocaine from Strong and implicated 16 other players in cocaine use and nine more in amphetamine use during the trial. It is expected to go to the jury Thursday afternoon, according to Judge Gustave Diamond, following closing arguments.

In those summations, defense attorneys Adam Renfroe and Isaac Green indicated they intend to point out, as they have done throughout the 12-day trial, that the testimony of the seven players is tainted because they were granted immunity and would say virtually anything the government wanted in order to save themselves.

``The grant of immunity goes to their credibility,`` Green told Judge Diamond as attorneys discussed ground rules for the final day of the case.

``To grant immunity shows the government condoned the conduct of the witnesses at the time of the offenses.``

U.S. Attorney J. Alan Johnson has said immunity was necessary because the prosecution had no wiretap or physical evidence.

Judge Diamond agreed he would permit final arguments on the immunity issue. But he warned the defense not to make the case a referendum on the government`s action, likening that to the John DeLorean verdict, in which the jury appeared to reject the government`s method of pursuing the case.

Green and Renfroe seemed to agree, but outside of court, Renfroe winked at reporters and said he couldn`t hear some of the judge`s

instructions.

Throughout the trial, in fact, there seemed to be a wink in Renfroe`s dealings with the media. Following last week`s sensational testimony that linked numerous major leaguers to cocaine and amphetamine use, Renfroe indicated he would call many of the players named, including Pete Rose, Willie Mays and Willie Stargell, and former and present baseball commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth.

But in the end, Renfroe`s defense lasted just one day and included principally character witnesses. These included two of Strong`s sisters and his mother and father, both of whom cried as they left the stand Wednesday morning.

Strong`s father, Albert, testified that Curtis, now divorced, lives at home. Saying that Curtis has never been in trouble, Albert Strong added: ``All the priests and sisters at the Catholic school said he was a good boy, a good Catholic boy.``

Strong`s mother, Helen, said friends think of her son as ``a wonderful man`` and added that Curtis is opposed to drug use. ``My son doesn`t like anyone who smokes cigarettes,`` she added.

In addition, Curtis` sister, Alberteen, testified that Strong was Christmas shopping with her and and later preparing for a New Year`s Eve party in 1981 on the two dates former Pirate Dave Parker testified that Strong was in Pittsburgh selling cocaine to him.

Also, a friend of Strong`s, a Philadelphia bartender who said Strong was usually ``the only black guy`` in the bar in the ``very whiteish``

neighborhood, testified that Strong was probably in his bar on several occasions that he allegedly sold cocaine in Pittsburgh. But the friend also said Strong did work for former Pirate Al Holland and that he saw him with former Phillie Dick Davis, both implicated in cocaine use by other players.

Strong, who did not testify in his own behalf, faces 210 years in prison and $350,000 in fines if convicted on all 14 counts.